New bayonet

Article about: Hi gents, I wasn't sure if I should post this here or in the bayo section so I chose here. My neighbors son is a scrapper ( e.g. Lamont Sanford ) and he found this in someones junk so I boug

New bayonet

Hi gents, I wasn't sure if I should post this here or in the bayo section so I chose here. My neighbors son is a scrapper ( e.g. Lamont Sanford ) and he found this in someones junk so I bought from him for a reasonable price.Please excuse the photos they were taken with my phone and I'm no Mattew Brady.I would like your opinions,thanks for checking it out.

Nice Japanese Type 30.
The cannon balls are Kokura(1936-1945) and I think the stamp below is the Denki if I am seeing it right. But according to the site below if it was a Denki it would have rivets on the handle

Here is a great site which also will tell you more details about the construction/finish. That is at the bottom of the page

That's in lovely condition, Bill. I think it is a very early example made before the First World War by that serial number. The very early ones also have inspection stamps which is what is under the cannon balls.
Cheers,
Tony
P.S. When I said First World War I meant before 1914!!!!!!

That's in lovely condition, Bill. I think it is a very early example made before the First World War by that serial number. The very early ones also have inspection stamps which is what is under the cannon balls.
Cheers,
Tony
P.S. When I said First World War I meant before 1914!!!!!!

Yes, the bayonet would have been made in the Koishikawa Arsenal in Tokyo. I believe bayonet production moved to Kokura in Kyushu in 1923 after the Great Kantoo earthquake. The arsenal was transferred to Kokura so the canon ball mark is the same.
Originally the bayonet would have been in the early pattern scabbard, similar in shape to yours but with a thin band for the frog loop.
Cheers,
Tony

These early bayonets also often have a further quite large kanji on the back of the cross guard under the muzzle ring. At the moment I am guessing that this is another inspection stamp and represents the first character of the inspector's surname.
Cheers,
Tony

These early bayonets also often have a further quite large kanji on the back of the cross guard under the muzzle ring. At the moment I am guessing that this is another inspection stamp and represents the first character of the inspector's surname.
Cheers,
Tony

Great info Tony,
If you don't mind me asking, As I only have one type 30 but the reference book I have does not go into serial #. Do you have that list? Also what I am reading is the early type 30 had the serial number on the cross guard, Then backstrap and finally on the pommel. Do you happen to know the serial range that this took place? I didn't know about the inspection marks either , Which is great info. My reference is " Bayonets From Janzen's Notebook"

Semper Fi
Phil

Last edited by AZPhil; 11-15-2019 at 02:48 AM.
Reason: Corrected the name of the person I was asking

Bill, yes, a nice character there! Need to check mine to see if they are all different ones. I know one is a clear 'Matsu' which is a common first character in surnames hence my thoughts that these are inspectors. I have never seen anything written about these.

Phil, my observations on serial numbers comes from an interest in the Arisaka rifles and bayonets supplied by Japan to the British in 1915 when we were short of rifles (around 150,000 I think). Some of these were regimentally marked by the British regiments as this was common practice up to around 1915 before that kind of work became a wasteful luxury in all out war. I have noted down the serial numbers of any I have seen on the internet (I have 2 myself). The highest number I have seen is 1478408, so up to this number must have been produced by 1915. It is thus a reasonable bet that Bill's bayonet is from the very beginning of the 20th Century.
I do not have my references handy but I think it was about the first 140,000 bayonets that had the serial number on the back of the tang. Do not know about on the cross-piece for a Type 30.
Cheers,
Tony